Teacher's Picked On Pet
by the.woods
Summary: REWRITTEN 6/5/08....Buffy and her English teacher, Mr. Angelus, engage in a battle of wits on a daily basis. Is their playful banter the beginning of something deeper?
1. Optimistic, Much?

**TITLE:** Teacher's (Picked On!) Pet  
**FEEDBACK: **Lack of reviews make my self-esteem go down, and that results in spending money for more therapists :(  
**DISTRIBUTION:** Sure, just tell me where it's going :)  
**AUTHOR:** never look back  
**SUMMARY:** AU. B/A S/F...It's the trio's freshman year in college. Xander, Willow and Buffy and each are majoring in different subjects. This story follows Buffy and her love for literature and…her teacher, Mr. Angelus!? Buffy plays the role of a non-conformist thinker, which Angelus likes to challenge at any given time. They get friendly, and suspicions rise. Is it just an easy-going, student-teacher relationship, like Buffy claims it is? Or is it more of a love-hate deal, like her friends believe? Will things ever work out between student and teacher?  
**DISCLAIMER: **I obviously don't own any of the characters listed in this story. Why write fanfiction when I could control minds on tv? All belong to Joss Whedon, etc.

* * *

She could hear a faint buzz in the distance, barely audible from where she was sleeping. Buffy pulled the covers over her head, trying to drown out the sound. The buzz eventually grew into a ring, and with a groan she rolled over and stuffed her head into her pillow.

_Wait,_ Buffy thought to herself. _That alarm has to be going off for some reason…_

Pulling the covers off her, she opened her eyes. _Must be morning,_ she noted dully as she reached over to shut off her alarm clock.

Her cellphone rang. Buffy glanced around her room and spotted it on her desk. She yawned before picking it up.

"Buffy!" It was Willow, cheery as ever. "Are you at school yet?"

"Ugh," Buffy mumbled.

"I'll take that as a no," Willow responded. "Remember you and me and Xander were supposed to meet at nine today! I already had my first class, it was an Anthropology class that's basically about—"

"Uh, Wills? I'm not, um, really awake let. I'll meet you on campus?"

"Sure, Buffy. Just remember, we're meeting by the recreation center at nine—"

Buffy scratched her head. "Where is that, again?"

"By the parking lot on Pebblebeach Drive," Willow answered. "You're gonna love classes, Buffy!"

Buffy snorted before saying goodbye to Willow. Placing the phone on her drawer, she searched her messy desk for her schedule and the campus map.

"Buffy?" Joyce peaked her head into Buffy's room, watching her daughter hysterically search her desk.

"Can't talk right now, mom," Buffy said, not looking up. She tossed a dirty sock from her desk to the corner of her room. "I'm looking for my schedule."

"You mean this?" Joyce waved a piece of paper in the air like a treat. Buffy glanced at the doorway where her mother stood and sighed.

"You know, you're going to have to get a little more responsible," Joyce said as Buffy stuffed her schedule into her backpack. "You're in college now."

Buffy moaned. "Oh no, not the responsibility talk. It's way too early, mom."

"Look honey," Joyce said as Buffy walked into the bathroom. "I'm not telling you that you have to get a job, or that you have to move out, I'm just saying that you should remember you're—"

"Don't worry, mom. I'll grow up eventually." She closed the bathroom door and made her way over to the sink.

* * *

The University of California, Sunnydale—or UCS; _so close to being USC_, Buffy thought dully—was bigger than she remembered. She never really paid attention to the school. She grew up around it but never actually explored the campus. _Didn't I go on a fieldtrip here, once?_ She couldn't remember.

She looked down at the map in her hands and tried to locate where she was. Buffy accidentally bumped into someone while she read the UC Sunnydale map.

"Sorry," she mumbled sheepishly.

The student rolled his eyes and walked away after muttering something about "freshies" under his breath.

Buffy sighed and continued walking. After a good ten minutes—and thirty minutes after nine—she finally found the recreation center. There were benches and tables aligned with palm trees in front of the plaza. A good sized crowd loitered around the area. Someone was blasting music through their boombox. Buffy soon spotted her friends through the crowd and started walking towards them.

Xander and Willow greeted her with a smile. "Have a hard time finding the place, Buffster?" Xander asked.

"You could say that," Buffy mumbled. "No one would help me find this place! Then again, I didn't really ask, I just thought people would kind of notice I was confused…"

Her friends laughed. Xander tapped his watch and looked at Willow. "Fork it over, Will."

Willow sighed and gave Xander a dollar. He smiles and pockets it while Willow sticks her tongue out at him.

Buffy grinned. "What was that about?"

"Little Miss Red here thought you were gonna get here by nine, as planned," Xander said. He leaned over to Buffy and smirked. "But I knew better."

The Trio walked toward the library, taking in the atmosphere of college and talking along the way. Willow was the first to bring up courses. "What classes are you taking today, guys?"

Xander took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "I'm going to Art 101 first." The girls give him a weird look. "Drawing class, people. It's a requirement."

"Requirement?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you need to take this class before getting into the real architecture courses," Xander explained.

"It's like that with all classes, Buffy," Willow added. "There's pre-req's—that's what they call them—for everything. If you want to take more advanced classes, you've got to pass the basics, first."

Buffy crinkled her nose. "I guess that makes sense. What are you taking today, Willow?"

"I just finished my Anthology 150 class. An hour from now, I'm heading out to the Science department to take my Astronomy class."

Buffy looked at her paper. "Looks like I'm due for English Freshman Composition in about fifteen minutes."

Willow giggled. "We're in college, guys! We're having a very…college-y discussion!"

"Groan," Buffy responded.

"Death," Xander cried.

Buffy smirked. "At least we're in charge of what classes to take."

"Yeah, but we still have to take mandatory General Education courses," Willow added. "Even if we're not interested in them."

Buffy grimaced in mock irritation. "Looks like the system's attack on individualism strikes again."

Xander snapped his fingers. "Damn! You'd think they would of stopped after our anti-clothing protests."


	2. School for Scoundrels

Xander parted from his friends and rode his skateboard into the Art Department. He looked around, a little put off by the multi-colored walls of the different buildings. There were posters, pictures, and paintings hung up everywhere in mini-galleries and on the walls. It was very different from Sunnydale High.

He picked up his board and walked up the stairs, turning left and going inside of the first classroom. Almost all of the seats were taken, so he made his way noisily to the back and sat down next to a brunette. He glanced at her as he put down his backpack and skateboard. "This is Art 101, right?"

She turned to look at him. Xander subconsciously noted all the black mascara and eyeliner on her, not to mention her dark red lipstick.

"Yeah, it is," she answered. "Did you get all your materials?"

He stared at her dumbly. "What?"

"It was on the syllabus," she said, nodding to the paper on her desk.

"The what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Freshie, right?" Xander nodded in response. She handed him her paper. "You can find your class syllabus online, usually, before school even starts. That way, you know what books to buy before they sell out, and what materials to purchase just in case your professor decides to teach."

Xander gulped and looked down. "Why didn't they mention all of this at the orientation?!"

The brunette smirked. "You kinda just learn it on your own."

* * *

Willow sat next to Buffy in a professor-less room. It was relatively small, but nonetheless crowded. No one did much talking, seeing as no one knew anyone.

The professor was a few minutes late. Willow told Buffy in hushed tones that in college, when a professor was more than fifteen minutes late, the students can leave and assume class has been cancelled. "I heard someone mention it was in the rulebook," Willow said seriously.

The door opened and a man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties came in. He made his way to the front desk and podium; a few confused students looked around.

"Excuse me," one girl called out. Buffy recognized her as Cordelia from Sunnydale High, one of the popular girls. "Are you our professor?"

The man nodded. "I'm technically the teacher's assistant," he elaborated as he removed some papers from his backpack, "but I've been assigned to teach this class."

Everyone in the room watched him closely. He moved to the front of the class and folded his arms against his chest, leaning slightly on the podium. Buffy eyed him with the rest of the class. _He looks like a poet, _she thought, taking in his black stylish turtleneck and black slacks. His eyes were what really set her off. She could feel them

_Feel? How can anyone feel someone's eyes?_

and they were a dark hazel, a deep brown. Buffy shifted in her seat and instantly wished she had taken Willow's advice and sat in the front.

"Hey everyone," the teacher's assistant said. His voice was deep

_and smooth, and silky, and—ugh, pay attention!_

and it washed over Buffy completely. "I'm Angelus…Angel, for short. Your professor Mr. Giles is the one listed on your schedule, but he's busy conducting research. He'll be flying from California to England on a daily basis, so obviously, he can't teach at the same time."

Buffy looked around the classroom and noticed she wasn't the only person who wished she moved to the front. The other girls were so close to drooling it was pathetic. Buffy laughed to herself and secretly hoped she didn't look anything like the rest of her classmates.

"I better get going," Willow whispered to Buffy while Angel passed out the syllabus to the class.

Buffy nodded. "I'll call you after class." Willow made a move to get up just as Buffy reached out and pulled her back. "Actually…could you wait until he calls roll to leave, Wills?"

Willow smiled and noded, sitting back in her seat. The boy sitting in front of Buffy leans back, handing her a syllabus. She looked down at it, amazed by the set schedule and the organization required to teach a college course. Angel started to call roll and Willow discretely left the classroom, waving goodbye to Buffy on her way out.

The girls in the classroom began to ask pointless questions about the syllabus once Angel was finished checking the roster. Buffy took out her cellphone and started to text Willow.

_im bored…grls r goin crazy over angel_

Willow responded by saying "he's so young!"

Buffy looked up, making sure no one paid attention to her, before texting Willow back. _he's only a lil older than us :)_

_whats that supposed to mean, buffy? ;)_

Buffy let out a chuckle. Everyone turned to look at her, including Angelus

_Angel_

who raised his eyebrows. "Something wrong, Ms…?"

"Summers," Buffy answered. "Buffy. And, uh, no."

"I see," Angel said. He nodded towards the cellphone in her lap. "Then that must be a conversation to yourself?"

She looked down at her cellphone and slightly reddened. "Sorry," Buffy mumbled as she closed her phone and put it back in her pocket. Angel smirked as the class laughed softly. Buffy sunk into her seat a little lower than necessary, doodling in her notebook while Angel answered the different girls' pointless questions.

Eventually, the Freshman Composition class took a turn from questions to lecture. Buffy noticed that throughout the entire session, Angel never once sat down in his chair. She wondered if all college professors did that. Sometimes he leaned against the wall or on the podium, or sat on his desk.

Angel cleared his throat. Buffy snapped to attention along with everyone else in the class; his presence was both demanding and subtle at the same time.

"Don't forget to stop by the bookstore," Angel said. "Pick up the two textbooks on your syllabus and have them by the next session." His eyes rested on Buffy, who matched his stare in response. "We'll be doing some actual work by then."

The class laughed. Angel's stare lingered on Buffy for a moment longer before he turned to the rest of the class. "Enjoy the rest of your classes, guys. This semester's going to go by quick."


	3. Insulting Attractions

Buffy met up with Xander by the food court after class. The two friends got out of their morning classes at roughly the same time; Willow was just starting class at eleven a.m. Even though their schedules conflicted on different days, Buffy realized she liked having time to herself with Xander. The two had never had any serious alone time without Willow.

"I can't believe his name is _Angel_," Xander said with a sour face. Xander and Buffy realized they had the same class, only at different times during the day. "At least Giles is a reasonably manly name. But Angel?"

"Okay, Xander," Buffy laughed. "We get it. You aren't comfortable enough with your manliness to call another man Angel."

Xander groaned. "I'm not worried about my manhood, Buff. I'm worried about _his_."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Not like that!" Xander exclaimed.

"I wonder if he's teaching any General Education courses?" Buffy wondered aloud. "I'd take them."

"You don't even know what kind of teacher he is," Xander answered, taking a bite out of his apple. "Ugh. I don't even know why we have to take these stupid GE courses."

Buffy nodded her head. "They're ridiculous. I thought I was done with math and history for the rest of my life after twelfth grade!"

"What's the use of General Education if we've already been generally educated throughout high school?" Xander piped.

Buffy stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. Xander shrugged before tossing his remaining apple into a nearby trashcan.

* * *

Buffy sighed as she fell onto her bed. After her second class

_Why does math have to be so torturous!?_

she had to wait for about an hour in the UCS bookstore, trying to get her textbooks before they sold out.

She got up and turned on her desktop computer, checking AIM to see if Willow was on. Buffy clicked on the screenname 'redtechscare' and sent Willow an IM.

_Looks like she might be idle,_ thought Buffy. _She's probably studying, or working on a paper._ Buffy figured she should do the same; her math class already assigned three pages of problems to be finished by the next session. _Not to mention, it might be smart to do a little reading for Angel's class…_

Her last thought died as soon as she logged onto Myspace.

* * *

Buffy was actually looking forward to her English class. _Guess that means I picked the right major._

_…or just got lucky with the right professor._

_But not that kind of lucky. Unfortunately._

She cleared her head before walking into class. Even though she was ten minutes early, the entire front row was filled. With females. Hell, the entire second row was filled with her gender, as well. Buffy shook her head and walked towards the back of the room, taking her seat and sliding her iPod earphones into her ears.

Angel walked into the classroom with dark blue slacks, a long white button-down shirt, a black tie, and his hair slightly spiked. He got started on the day's lesson right away, much to the dismay of his newfound fanclub sitting in the front rows.

"All right everyone, get out your syllabus," he said. "We've got a few things to switch around."

He was an excellent speaker. It was only the beginning of the semester, like Xander said, but she didn't need to know that Angel was a great teacher. Every once in a while he would make eye-contact with her; Buffy usually pretended not to be interested by looking away or yawning or raising her eyebrows nonchalantly.

The truth, however, was that Buffy wrapped herself around every single one of Angel's words. She loved the way he talked, how he taught ideas to his students, his style of communication which was on such a higher level than anyone else she had met. The only reason she rejected displaying an interest in the class

_and him…as a teacher, not as a potential lov…ugh, don't finish that thought_

was because she wanted to be different. She didn't want to seem like a petty little school girl, striving for attention by pretending to be interested in whatever Angel was talking about.

She had figured the class would include a lot of writing, reading and lecturing…which it did. The only part that was unexpected included all the activities Angel had brought into the classroom. _None of the activities relate to English, anyway,_ Buffy thought as she drew circles in her notebook mindlessly. _Why do we even—_

"Buffy Summers."

Buffy's head snapped up. Angel apparently had noticed her short attention span and decided to call her out on it. With eyebrows raised, she leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, Angel?"

The students glanced at her. Buffy was the first to call Angel by his nickname instead of addressing him as Mr. Angelus or Angelus.

Angel took his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arm over his chest—all the while staring at Buffy. His brown eyes burned through her skin, igniting some kind of chemistry within her she had long ago forgotten.

_And not just the chemistry that comes with writing, either._

"Since you seemed to be so thoroughly engaged in this discussion," Angel said, "I'm assuming you'd like to volunteer yourself for the first activity?"

Buffy blinked. Her head tilted slightly to the left in confusion. "Activity?"

He tilted his head to the side, mocking her. "Yes, activity…and no, not an echo."

The class laughed. Buffy's eyes narrowed. _You are definitely going into my little black book, mister._

She sat stubbornly in her seat. The girl sitting behind her kicked her chair, sending her a physical sign that Buffy could read clearly: don't participate and you get on Angel's bad side.

With a smile, Angel motioned for her to come up to the front of the class. She stood up reluctantly, not because of fear but because of apathy. Buffy made her way towards Angel with confidence in her step.

He was much taller than she pictured. _Or maybe I'm just shorter than I thought._ Buffy looked her teacher straight in the eye. "Now what?"

Angel glanced at her for a moment before turning towards the class. "We're going to be doing a lot of group work in this class," he stated. "Which will be tough, seeing as all we'll be turning in are essays."

"Group essays?" a kid asked, surprised.

Angel sighed. "How many echoes do I need?" Shaking his head, he continued. "I've found that trust is hard to find when it comes to group assignments, especially with something as complicated as an essay. So, today we'll be doing a trust activity. Many of you have probably done this in elementary or something. It's not original, but it works."

He took a step behind Buffy. She shrugged off her unease, not wanting anyone to notice. Buffy looked into the class and saw recognized a few jealous faces, Cordelia's included.

"Each of you will pick a partner, preferably someone you do not know." He paused and wandered away from Buffy, addressing the class. "A good pick would be someone who got your attention when they first walked in, or someone you think you'd get along with. Just make sure you're with someone you don't know…" he paused to glance at Buffy before finishing his sentence. "…but would one day like to."

Buffy glanced away as he stood behind her. She heard his voice from behind her and challenged herself not to turn around.

"I'll be partner A, and Buffy will be partner B…for obvious reasons," Angel said. A few kids chuckled, even Buffy cracked a slight smile. "Everyone pick out a partner and meet us out in the hallway."

Everyone awkwardly stood up from their desks and looked around. Angel walked into the hallway, beckoning for Buffy to follow him. She exited the room and leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. As if on cue, Angel shut the door and imitated her lazy "I-don't-care-about-anything" posture and crossed his arms over his chest.

The two stayed positioned in silence. Buffy found the lack of speech comforting.

"Buffy," Angel mused, more to himself than to her. Her attention sparked. She loved the sound of her name sliding off of his lips—

_Aah! Control, woman!_

"Is it short for something?" he asked.

_No time for embarrassment, _she thought to herself. _No one intimidates me. _Buffy looked up at him, catching his eye contact.

"It's just Buffy," she answered. Angel nodded slowly and turned to open the door.

Buffy wanted to say more, to keep the conversation going. He walked into the classroom without looking back. She bit her lip and watched him command the class' attention.

He was a contradiction.

"I wonder if I can unravel it," Buffy mused aloud.

Angel turned his attention from the students to her, a slight smirk playing on his beautiful features. "Unravel what?"

Buffy snapped her head up in surprise. "What?" She shook her head. "Oh. I, uh…I speak my thoughts aloud, sometimes."

He raised his eyebrows playfully. "When we speak, it is often aloud, Buffy."

She shifted her posture. _Don't be redundant in front of a to-be English professor,_ she noted dully. "Not necessarily," Buffy countered. "Silent protests. Creativity through writing or poetry…"

"It's also still something that's making a statement in itself," Angel answered, quicker than Buffy had thought possible. "Silent protests are done for the cause, not for the silence. Writings, as you mentioned…even those speak to someone. Even through someone."

Inside Buffy fumed. Even deeper inside, she felt a strange sense of admiration. She heard him sigh.

"Not even a 'touché, Angel?'" he asked, pretending to be hurt.

She stared at him angrily in a silent response. Angel laughed. It surprised her; it was genuine.

"If you weren't my teacher, I'd hit you," she said good-naturedly. He beckoned the class to come outside with the wave of his hand before turning back to Buffy.

"I'm only your teacher during class," he said. "Any other time…I'm just another guy."

He walked past her with the rest of the students following and whispering excitedly. She stood there watching him for another moment before shaking her head and smiling to herself.

Slightly jogging up to the front, Buffy caught up with him and walked by his side. Angel looked down at her and acknowledged her presence, making her feel a small sensation of happiness inside.

_Why this man?_ she asked herself as she zoned out. _Why here, why now, and why does he have to be my teacher?!_


	4. Helloooo Nurse

The class gathered anxiously around Angel's presence. Buffy had tried to sneak over to the side, blend into the crowd, but Angel had seen her in the corner of his eye. He gently brought her back to the spotlight and smiled at the crowd.

"Now that everyone has their partners, listen carefully," he spoke. "Partner A will count to three slowly." He looked to Buffy before continuing with a smile. "On three, Partner B will let it all go with eyes shut. He or she will lean backwards, where Partner A will catch them."

Anxious chatter sounded throughout the partners. Angel quieted them down before setting up a quick demonstration.

He leaned in close to her ear. "Are you ready, Buffy?"

She quickly took in a breath._ God, is this man trying to get pounced due to sexual frustrations or what?!_ "I'm ready."

Putting his gentle hands on her

_Yep, definitely trying to unleash those frustrations_

he took a step back, creating some space between them.

"Do you trust me?"

She hesitated, and she knew he could feel it. "Yes."

The entire class watched with vague interest, mainly for the personal interactions.

"One," he said loud enough for the whole class to hear. Buffy closed her eyes, anticipation getting the best of her. "Two," he continued as he let go of her shoulders, hoping she wouldn't notice. She bit her tongue, trying to surpass the sigh ready to come out of desperation of his touch. "Three."

…

_Why aren't I moving?_

She heard a girl snicker. Opening her eyes, she spotted a brunette whispering to one of her friends and motioning to her.

_Just get it over with!_

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes again, leaning back and feeling herself fall. There was a flash that filled her mind as blood rushed to her head, and sure enough, she felt Angel's secure arms catch her. She stayed there for a moment, haziness clouding her better judgment, until he hoisted her up.

"That wasn't too hard," Buffy said, embarrassment creeping up on her face. "I guess I don't like falling."

Angel smiled at her. "Oh, I don't know," he said in a low voice so that only she could hear. "Falling isn't so bad, when you're with the right person."

Buffy remained motionless and slightly confused, unsure of her TA's double meaning. She had no time to question him about it; as she turned her head his way, she saw him approach the rest of the class, telling everyone to start on the activity.

_Might as well find another partner,_ she told herself numbly, trying to shake off everything that had just happened. Buffy saw the same brunette who had snickered at her earlier talking to Angel, and she briefly imagined her refusing to do the activity because she was afraid to break a nail.

Chuckling to herself, she headed towards the crowd, looking for someone without a partner.

"Buffy!" It was Angel again. She slowly turned around and saw Angel with the brunette chick

_Oh, God, if he asks me to do him a favor and help little miss high and mighty with her manicure, I swear --_

"I need you to do me a favor," Angel said, looking from Buffy to the other girl.

_Please please please please please --_

"You two need to be partners, since there's no one else left."

Buffy blinked at him and looked back to the other girl who had looked like she had been slapped.

Angel looked at the brunette. "You're OK with that, right…ah…"

"Cordelia," she answered, looking up at him with pretty eyes. Buffy felt like throwing up. Cordelia completely ignored Buffy before trying to get Angel's attention again. "It's just…Angel, if I could call you that--"

"It's fine."

"Good, because I didn't want to be disrespectful or anything by just saying it straight out like some people--"

Buffy looked at her in slight amusement. _Does she really think that she's going to win this one out?_

"--but on to the subject. I was hoping to be partners with you, since you probably know what you're doing better than she can."

"Hey, so I am visible," Buffy murmured to herself. Apparently, Angel heard and calmly stole a glance in her direction before resuming his talk with Cordelia.

"I think it would be best if it goes 'student-to-student' from now on," he concluded, ready to turn away.

Cordelia desperately grabbed his arm. "I wanted to be partners with the teacher, not with the frea--"

"Cordelia," Angel interrupted, sensing the tension between the two young ladies beginning to erupt. He added in a menacing tone, "go with Buffy."

Cordelia's hand drew away from his arm at his slightly harsh tone. Buffy stifled a laugh which earned her an evil glare by Cordelia.

_Damn. Should have stuck with the manicure idea._

As Angel tried to leave once more, Cordelia tried for a third time to gain his attention, Buffy noticed with shock. She looked up at the teacher with sad, puppy eyes, making a slight pout and putting her hands behind her back. Buffy almost cried out in disgust as Cordelia tried to avert Angel's attention from her face to her shirt, which was…largely revealing.

But what really made her sick was the fact that it worked. She watched Angel's eyes linger, a somewhat darkened look crawling upon his angelic-like features. Cordelia stepped closer into Angel's presence, shortening the space between them and leaving Buffy not only repulsed but angered at the fact that such a gentlemen could fall into the obvious trap of seduction.

_Grade-digger._

Buffy's cough caught both of their attentions, leaving a pissed off Cordelia and a lost Angel. "Cordelia," she said sweetly, "you might want to stand up a little straighter." She brought a hand to her face, pretending like she was telling a secret. With a loud whisper, loud enough for Angel to hear, she added, "the fruits just aren't blossoming like they use to. I mean, they're not falling out of your shirt or anything!"

Angel choked back his laughter, oblivious to a seething Cordelia. Collecting his authority with a stern stare to Buffy, he said to the both of them, "the faster you two get this thing done, the quicker you can get away from each other."

Buffy smiled with mock sweetness and Cordelia put out her hands so that she could catch the small blonde. After once doing the activity with Angel, it was easy for her to fall back. Angel turned around and started rounding up the class as Buffy fell backwards. With a careless attitude, Cordelia stepped back as soon as Buffy fell, leaving her no support.

She realized what was happening in an instant. Her eyes shot open and her hands came out to her sides, trying to stop the fall from hurting too hard. As she connected with the grass, an "oof" escaping her mouth, she turned to face Cordelia. She had joined her friends, laughing and walking away.

* * *

"I hate her!" Buffy yelled to Xander, who she had met up with after class.

"I thought you didn't hate anyone," Xander countered.

"Fine…I strongly dislike her," she finished. "And Angel—I mean, I thought as a teacher--as a member of the male species, even--he was different. But as soon as Queen C pops open her shirt intentionally, all the sweetness just drifted away from him, like an unsweet, sour…thing." She shook her head. "It was not sweet, at all."

Xander shook his apple at her. "You're expecting too much," he said. "He's a guy. He does guy things. He probably even has a guy part, despite the name confusion." He smiled mischievously. "Guys with things tend to act that way around girls like Cordelia."

She shook her head. "I just thought he was different, I guess."

"Ah, what's so special about him anyways," he answered, casually dismissing Angel. "I mean, Buffy come on, he is a teacher. You couldn't get with him, anyways, if that was what you were thinking."

Buffy stirred. "Well, technically, he's only the teacher's _assistant_—"

Xander stared at her in shock. "Oh, God. You were thinking about getting with this guy!"

She grinned sheepishly before letting her eyes wander down to her shoes. "That was before I realized I had to be super sexy, Queen High and Mighty, everyone-bow-down-to-me, Miss Bitca of the Seven Seas."

"Buffy," Xander said, concern in his voice. He put a hand on her shoulder. "So you've run into a few jerks in the past who generally suck and do look at girls like Cordelia before you. One day you're going to realize that perfection, if you could even call it that, comes with a price, and those jerks will realize that, too, and come crawling back to you. Then you can commence with the shoe licking and the kicking of the shins."

This got a smile out of her. Buffy pulled Xander into a friendly hug before the two said their goodbyes and headed off in different directions. And as Xander watched one of his best friends leave, he hoped that Buffy wouldn't fall for the "good guy" façade that Mr. Angelus was obviously pulling over her.


	5. Confusion and Car Rides

After finishing up the rest of her classes, Buffy waited on UC Sunnydale's front lawn for Xander and Willow. Oz was planning on picking them up, but she knew he might be a little late due to band practice.

Her thoughts slowly drifted to her mysterious literature teacher, Angel. She was pretty certain that he wasn't married but wasn't sure if he had a girlfriend or not_. Just because I couldn't see a ring doesn't mean he's not taken…and jeeze, when did I reach the age where stalking out territory also meant checking out ring fingers?!_

Chalking it all up to the college life, she sighed and hoped for a lust-free semester. She didn't want her whole school life to be dedicated to chasing Angel, contrary to the plans of many of the students including Cordelia. As smart-like as it sounded, she actually wanted to learn something, to experience something new.

_Like experience a mouthful of Angel goodness…or…ugh! Control!_

A few minutes later, Buffy spotted Xander and Willow through the mass of students and professors.

"Hey Buffster," Xander greeted casually as the trio made their way to the faculty parking lot, where Oz was bound to pick them up. "Long time, no see."

Buffy smiled. "Likewise."

"I hear someone has the hots for their professor," Willow said knowingly.

"Not true," Xander jumped in defense. "I said Professor Milikan had a nice body, Will, not that I had the hots--"

"I was talking to Buffy!"

Xander blinked. "I knew that."

Willow rolled her eyes playfully at her best friend. "Anyways, how is he? Professor Angelus?"

"He's alright," she answered teasingly. "I mean, most girls seem to be into him, and maybe I would, too…if I were into that kind of guy."

"That kind of guy?" Xander asked, unaware of the joke.

"Yeah, that kind of guy," Willow answered. "You know, the kind with the hair--"

"And the eyes--"

"And the face--"

"And the as--"

"OK, I get it!" Xander interrupted, causing the two girls to laugh. "Sheesh, I don't see anything special about him."

A new voice entered the conversation, causing Willow and Buffy to stifle a laugh. "About who?"

"About this new professor," Xander said blindly before turning around. He grinned sheepishly and offered a tiny wave. "Uh…hi, professor."

Angel smirked. "Hello, Xander."

Buffy could have died in heaven because of Angel's face, but thanks to her confusion she just looked at the two suspiciously. "You know each other?"

Xander looked down at the ground and Angel laughed. "Yeah. Your friend consistently attempts to bicker with me in my class. He doesn't give up easily…at least not until someone puts him in his place."

"Yeah, that's our Xander," Buffy laughed, not realizing that Xander was Angel's student.

Angel looked over to Willow. "You were in my class for a few moments, weren't you?"

Willow shot Buffy a panicked look, one that clearly said "I-told-you-so" through her eyes. "Me? I think that maybe--"

"She was just accompanying me," Buffy blurted out. "I needed…to find out where the class was."

Angel grinned. "I take it Willow's much more familiar with the campus, then?" Willow nodded as Angel extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Same." Willow shook his hand. "I've heard a lot about--"

"Angel!"

The group looked in the direction Angel's name was called. Buffy groaned as she spotted Cordelia nearing them.

"What are you doing over here?" Cordelia asked as she neared the group, obvious distaste in her mouth.

"Well, if you want to leave…" Buffy grumbled quietly.

Angel interrupted her sentence with a glance.

_He knows me to well, _she told herself as she calmed down_. Is that a good thing?_

"I was talking to my students," he told her. "Plus one non-student."

"You're in his class?" she questioned Xander disbelievingly.

"English is generally educational," he answered with a shrug. Everyone except for Buffy gave him a weird look.

"Inside joke," Buffy cleared.

"Hmm, what do you know," Cordelia spoke up. "Inside joke for outside losers."

Buffy fumed on the inside. _If only I had trusty Mr. Breakface, my old baseball bat…_

"Hey!" Xander yelled a few seconds too late. "You just insulted me, and I don't even know you."

"Nor do I want you to," Cordelia replied blatantly. She turned away from Willow and Xander's unbelievable looks and gave Angel her full attention, who was apparently uncomfortable. "So I heard you live on Crawford Street," she said happily.

Angel was taken back. "…how do you know where I live?" he asked wearily.

"Internet," she answered. "Anyways, I live right across from that street--"

"So does Buffy!" Xander boldly interrupted.

"--and I was wondering if you could give me a lift?" Cordelia finished sweetly, ignoring Xander's outburst.

Angel hesitated. Conflicting emotions crossed his face for only a brief second, and only Buffy noticed that he didn't know what to do. As fast as his confusion shown on his face, it disappeared. "Do you desperately need a ride, Cordelia?"

"Cordelia?!" Xander practically yelled, recognition shining on his features. He quieted down after more weird looks from the group and a pleading face from Buffy.

"You can't expect me to take the bus, can you?"

"All right." The professor ran a hand through his hair

_Don't moan…no signs of interest…wow, I love his hair_

and looked at Buffy. "Do you need a ride, as well?"

_Knees! My knees are dying on me!_

"Um…"

Xander spoke up. "Unlike Queen C over here, Buffy can take care of herself--"

"But there's not enough room with Oz!" Willow interrupted, nudging Xander in the ribs. "Yeah, so you might as well take up the offer, Buffy."

_Speak, Buffy. Speak._

"Right, Buffy?" Willow persisted, trying to snap her best friend out of her daze.

Buffy blinked, trying to get her thoughts in order.

_OK, rationality: Hot male: check. Hot -adult- male has just asked me if I need a ride._

_Cons? Cordelia._

_Pros? Hotness…Angelness…oh God, someone shoot me!_

"Uh, yeah. Yeah! That would be great." She smiled at Willow and Xander (who was currently confused) before looking at Cordelia with fake generosity plastered on her face. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

* * *

Buffy waved goodbye to her friends before heading in the same direction as Angel and Cordelia. Despite the evil daggers glaring from Cordelia's eyes, Buffy was pretty much taking everything in as a good sign.

"My car's right up ahead," Angel said, pointing to a red convertible.

_Red,_ Buffy thought. _He likes red._

As they neared his vehicle, Buffy heard Cordelia's heels click a little faster behind her. Arrogantly, she pushed past Buffy as she called out "shotgun!" for the all of the world to hear. Groaning, she put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

"Tired of me already?" Angel smirked.

Buffy's eyes fluttered open. "What?" Her hands dropped from her forehead and she looked at him. "Oh, no...never. Just a little tired due to the fun, lovable ball of godliness we all like to call Queen C."

Angel laughed, causing Buffy a full blown smile. "I hope we grow have this much fun," he said. Quickly, he added, "in the classroom, I mean.

_Glad to know he wasn't entirely serious about Cordelia__, _Buffy thought to herself._ Like Xander said…he is just a guy._

A little while after the drive was in session, both Buffy and Angel continued to joke around, leaving a confused Cordelia asking too many questions.

"I already explained it to you, Cordy," Buffy said, tears in her eyes. "It's the psychological effect of trying to attract the male species. It may be something as unconscious as…puffing out your chest whenever a hot guy is around"

Angel chuckled, causing Buffy to laugh as well. Cordelia stared at the two, bewildered at what was happening. As the pair's humor died down, she said, "OK. First of all, it's not Cordy. It's Cordelia, Cordy to friends. Only. Next, I still don't see why girls shouldn't flaunt what they have if they have the right stuff! If it gets the guy, use it!"

Buffy briefly noticed Angel had stayed silent during the entire conversation.

_Probably some teacher tactic: observe student, learn strengths, defeat during class._

She smiled faintly at the thought, keeping it in mind. In the next second, Buffy turned to serious debater mode. "All right, Cordelia," she said, stressing her name

_Ignorant fool_

"but that's not the point. It shouldn't have to be about good looks and great sex appeal for both genders."

Cordelia was angry. "Then what should it be about?"

"It should be about internal beauty," Buffy stated. "Something you can't touch but can feel…" Angel glanced at her from the rear-view mirror. "It should always be about the things that never change, not what you're constantly being bombarded with in the media and stupid magazines like Vogue and what not."

"I happen to love Vo--"

"And I mean sure, people change in growing aspects, for instance, I'm proud to admit that I no longer cry over bad hair since the sixth grade, but seriously? Who needs makeup to survive?"

"Obviously not you," Cordelia huffed. "You're doing quite well without it."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or insult," Angel said, looking to Cordelia.

She didn't seem to hear him in her dislike of a certain blonde in the backseat. "Then again, how well have you been doing without it? In loser terms, how long has it been since you've got laid, Buffy?"

A quick, awkward silence settled across the group. Buffy looked out the window and rolled her eyes.

_What was the use?_

"Thanks for the ride." She unlocked the car door. Angel slowed down the car.

"Buffy, wait--"

Buffy opened the door and grabbed her backpack before slamming it with a strength she had never seen before. She didn't even feel like sneaking a look back to see the confusion on the two's faces

She ran her hand through her hair and started walking towards Crawford Street.

_Great. Another couple miles and I'll be home._

"Buffy!"

It was Angel. Surprising herself, she kept on walking.

"Buffy!"

The sound was closer now, but it wasn't like she cared.

_No, really--I don't._

She felt firm hands grab her shoulder. Expecting who it was, Buffy didn't even let out the smallest cry as she turned around and saw Angel.

"You can't walk," he murmured, looking into her eyes. "It's too far."

Her eyebrows lifted in questioning. He laughed in response. "I didn't mean it like that. I know you're a strong and independent woman, Buffy…but I'm also a strong and reliable man who has promised a certain someone a free ride."

"I'll take the free ride in college not life, if you don't mind," she answered, caught off guard. She half expected him to be apologizing like a madman on Cordelia's behalf, and even half wanted to hear that Cordelia was wrong. Since he didn't, though, she felt a little let down and she knew it showed in her eyes.

Sensing this, Angel put a hand on her shoulder and said softly, "don't let her get to you, okay?"

A shiver went down her spine, and she nodded.

As he walked her back to his car, she couldn't stop smiling. Nothing could phase her now, not even Cordelia. And even in her dazed state, she didn't recognize anything except the feel of his arm around her shoulder.

Yet not even this good feeling couldn't suppress the ever-rising thought that plagued her heart from the beginning:

…

_But isn't he your teacher?_

* * *

Willow was practically screaming over the phone.

"He WHAT?"

Buffy giggled. "Will, relax!"

"Are you insane?" she said in a shocked tone. "This is big! Like, bigger than college big! Bigger than Cordelia's ego big! Which, actually, shouldn't be that big since you squashed it like a bug."

Buffy shifted the phone to the other ear as the sound of Oz's guitar sounds were heard through the phone. "I don't really like being an ego-smasher, though."

"Don't worry," Willow commented, "you did it for a good cause. Congratulate yourself! I do, and I think Oz approves from what he's heard."

She smiled. "So are we keeping up with the Bronzing? Or are we too old to be doing all of that dagnabbit young stuff?"

Willow sighed. "Not only too old, but also too busy. I have to get started on a research paper."

"Research paper or an essay?"

"Heavy duty research paper."

"Suckage." Buffy paused. "Well then, I'll let you go. I've got a few things I need to work on, too."

"Any assignments from Angel?" Willow asked with a teasing voice.

"Yes, from my English TA." Subconsciously, Buffy smiled at the thought. "I want to make a good impression."

"You already did."

"Thanks, Wills. I'll talk to you later. Tell my cousin no funny stuff after nine!"

After hanging up, she looked through all of the handouts she was given. Her English syllabus stood out brightly out of all of them, along with the written assignment. The paper dictated a thorough essay on the goals and expectations of college for the young freshmen

_and women_

in his class.

"Sounds easy enough," she told herself with a grin. "Now, just to make it a little more complicated."


	6. Teenybopper Crush

It had been at least a week since the "car incident," and Buffy was feeling quite well as she walked into her English class. Looking around for an empty seat in the back row, she spotted an open one way in the far corner of the room and started to walk up the stairs when a familiar hand grabbed her shoulder.

"You don't get away that easy," Angel said, turning her around. She looked into his eyes and smiled like a little schoolgirl.

_It's gotta be the eyes_, she told herself, trying to convince not only herself but everyone around her that she was not falling for her professor. _Chocolate eyes, too. Chocolate does that to you every now and then--_

"Take a seat in the front row," he said before heading back to his desk.

Buffy had never been this close up to a teacher; it was kind of sad in a way. She loved being out of the limelight and in her own little world.  
_  
Yeah, such fun to pretend, _she sarcastically thought to herself as she took a seat and rummaged through her backpack. It seemed to her that it was more safe in a classroom to be a spectator that's what she had been doing her whole life and there wasn't anything about to stop her, now.

Class started sooner or later, leaving Buffy in her daily ritual. _Notes, check out Angel when he's not looking, notes, fantasize about Angel when he's not looking, notes_…It was a humble existence for her; one that she spent less time with notes and more with watching Angel.

It wasn't like she was alone; but at least she wasn't overtly into him. Buffy saw the other girls seemingly desperate in her class, the way they threw themselves at Angel's feet. She loved the way he denied them everything but allowed her something, however small that something had been. Cordelia, much to Buffy's dismay, was granted that same access.

Angel always destroyed the students who tried to prove him wrong. Buffy found herself occasionally shutting her mouth, actually taking Angel's advice and thinking clearly before she spoke. It had proven to keep her alive in the classroom setting and for that, she was grateful.

"Thanks for the input, Riley," Angel said, walking over to his desk and snapping Buffy out of her thoughts. "But it looks like we'll have to cut this short." Rummaging through his desk, he found a stack of papers. Waving it in the air, he asked the class, "anyone feel like passing the last essay out?"

Every single female hand went up except for Buffy. She crossed her hands over her chest and glared at the board, trying to get away from the other Angel fanatics.

Angel glanced in Buffy's direction and tried to hide a smirk. She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows, curious to see who he would pick. He walked over to the right section of the room and looked at Cordelia after locking eyes with Buffy once more.

_He's just trying to humor me,_ Buffy told herself, trying to keep her jealousy tone down._ Only humor._

Everyone else's hands went down in defeat as Cordelia 'sweetly' accepted the offer.

_What a menial existence._

_Hmm...you're one to talk._

Buffy shook her head._ OK, self to alter-self conversations ending...now._

After a while, Cordelia walked up to Buffy's desk and skillfully managed to deposit her essay on the desk, making it slide down to the floor.

"Oops," she said with a shrug. A few of her friends giggled in the background. With a groan, Buffy picked it up and flipped through it.

Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise. Angel was definitely different from most of the teachers she had. Instead of just reading through the essay and giving her a grade, he circled phrases and gave his input, commenting on various thoughts Buffy had written about.

_"Take a look at OUTFOXED the documentary if you haven't, already"_

_"Same here…"_

_"Look around, most people suck but there's a good handful that don't…"_

Everywhere was red.

_"Too rushed; try explaining in more depth"_

_"I agree"_

Red ink perfectly worded on her paper, making her feel that somehow, this was right.

_"Good thinking…I never thought of it that way"_

Everything about Angel was right.

_"We should talk one day"_

Buffy looked up at her professor, currently hunched over his desk reading. With a slight smile, she gathered her things and approached him.

* * *

"So I was right!" Xander exclaimed. "You are obsessed with Professor Angelus!"

Buffy rolled her eyes with a smile, taking a bite out of her croissant. The pair was sitting at their infamous spot, an outdoor restaurant table connected to the college. "Why can't you just call him Angel?"

"Never," he swore, drinking some orange juice. "That man is a pain. I swear, I'd take classes in law just to beat his sorry ass in arguments "

"I don't believe it!" Buffy laughed. "What is with the male species and getting Angel to contradict himself?"

Xander swallowed his pizza slice and pointed a finger at her. "It's all about power, Buffster. When this guy is being swooned by every other woman available including my best friend, I tend to get a little insecure." He smirked. "Especially when one of my best friends happens to be obsessed with him "

"Xand, I am so not obsessed," she laughed. "True, I watch…a lot. And I stare…most of the time..."

"And you think of every excuse to see him!"

"It's over a simple paper," she said slyly, remembering what happened between her and Angel after class. "I mean, all I did was see if he was available to talk about my paper after class--"

"Over coffee!"

"Just about school, Xander! It's not like I'm going to jump him in public."

Xander threw his backpack over his shoulder. "Riiight. Just be careful, OK?"

Buffy sighed, standing up. "I try to be."

"He just seems unstable to me," Xander tried to explain.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "Just a guy vibe or something."

"I trust your instincts, Xand," Buffy said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But I also trust mine. Okay?" She waved goodbye and walked in the opposite direction.

Xander watched her leave, a sad expression on his face. "Keep telling yourself that, Buffy."

* * *

After an uneventful lecture in her United States History class, Buffy wandered off to the main hall for information. Not surprised, the only people in the reference officce were two adults one older than her and another possibly younger. She glanced at them curiously before walking up to the registry, mentally noting the man's awesomely bright peroxide hair. He seemed to be comforting the other girl, a brunette who looked oddly distressed.

"Yeah?"

A voice snapped Buffy out of her thoughts. She looked behind the counter and saw an impatient woman

_Acting like a brat who doesn't really like her job, but…_

glaring at her.

"Uh, hi," Buffy said. She glanced at the girl's name-tag. "Um…Anya. I'm Buffy Summers. I had asked for late assistance in finding a dorm room over summer?"

"We don't do late assignments," she answered casually. Buffy couldn't help but smirk. Anya wasn't exactly rude; her tone was just…blunt and truthful.

"I had asked before," Buffy countered. "They told me to check back within a week or two." Exasperated, she asked, "could you at least check the list?"

Anya cocked her head to the side. "What did you say your name was, again?"

Buffy groaned._ It's going to be a long day…_

As Anya went behind a computer to look up her information, Buffy decided to take a seat across from the odd pair. The two didn't even seem to feel her presence, so wrapped up in their own problems. Buffy grabbed a magazine off of a nearby rack but couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"What can we do, Spike?" the girl whispered brokenly. It was hard for Buffy not to eavesdrop.

_A little listening never hurt anyone._

"We'll do what we can, pet," he answered, stroking her cheek and just as quiet. "It'll just be during school, and after that…I'm yours."

The girl smiled at this. Buffy tried to pretend like she was reading, but she couldn't help but gazing up every so often at the duo.

"And plus," he continued, a little louder this time. "Angel will understand. I've covered for him plenty of times before."

_…Angel?_

Buffy turned a page in her magazine.

"He'll watch out for us. I'm his bloody responsibility, remember?"

The two smiled. _Bohemians in love, _Buffy thought to herself, an ironic thought contradicting the hardcore black clothing they wore. _How sweet. Wonder what Angel has to do with any of this..._

"Hey blondie," Anya spoke up, causing both the man and Buffy to look up. "Your stuff is ready." Buffy walked up at the same time the man did, leaving her confused. Both of them stopped in their tracks, looking at the other's hair.

"I'm natural," she said with a smile, joking around.

He stared at her for a moment before smirking. "I suppose she's got me on that one, then." He sat back down and continued to cuddle with the woman.

"You've got room 328," Anya answered, throwing Buffy a key. She caught it with great reflexes and shoved it in her pocket.

"Uh…where is that?"

Anya gave her a map. "Have fun."

Buffy sighed and turned around, only to be stopped by a deep female voice.

"Need help finding it?"

Turning around, she looked at the girl who spoke with grateful eyes. "Yeah…that would be great."

"I live right across the hall from you," she answered, walking up to Buffy with a confidence she had only seen in herself. "I'm Faith."

"Buffy."

They shook hands, and Faith introduced Buffy to Spike. "Nice meeting you, love," he answered before looking back at Faith. "I'll meet you in the ditz' class around an hour from now?"

"Always," Faith smiled, kissing him lightly. "He'll be gone?"

"Yeah, meeting his latest teenybopper crush for some 'talk'," Spike answered, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Buffy coughed voluntarily, grinning sheepishly at them.

"I'm afraid I'd be latest teenybopper crush.


	7. Conversations

"You, pet?" Spike asked, disbelief in his eyes. Faith raised her eyebrows in surprise as well, making Buffy a little uncomfortable.

"Why?" she asked, standing up for herself. "Something wrong with the given situation, or does the eye-bulging not count as a confused factor?"

Spike chuckled. "Nothing, nothing," he answered, waving away the issue.

"No, it's definitely a something," she countered.

"It's just," Faith started, trying to be the mediator between the two, "Angel usually doesn't go for the…" She tried to think of a word, looking to Spike for help.

"He likes blonde bimbos, love," he drawled, enjoying the shocked look on Buffy's face. "Easy to shag, no money to make sure what goes on under the covers stays under the covers, and -- "

"No money?" Buffy almost yelled, not believing what Spike was telling her. "What, so it's the whole grade benefactor that gets discussed, instead?" she asked sarcastically.

"They're the ones that want the sodding poof," Spike answered, not noticing the change in her nature. "It's not about grades or money."

"Anyone with eyes can see that, B," Faith backed up.

"It's not 'B'," Buffy snapped. "It's Buffy." Faith put her hands up in a surrender.

Buffy sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry," she mumbled, looking at the floor. "I don't like it when people assume. You know what they say about people who assume."

Spike and Faith stared at her with blank eyes.

Anya spoke up in the background. "It only makes an 'ass' out of 'you' and 'me'."

"Thanks," Buffy said slowly, eyes shifting towards Anya who didn't look up. Her attention turned back to Spike. "So what's this I hear about Angel?"

He looked at her and smirked, amusement clearly written on his face. "Calling him Angel already, huh?"

"Just answer the question," she said with a tired look.

Faith walked up to her. "I'll tell you everything I know about your teacher while we walk to the dorm."

"That would be great," she answered. Sighing loudly, Buffy opened the door and walked outside with Faith. "I am so completely lost right now."

"I would be, too," she laughed.

"So how does Spike know Angel?"

Faith chuckled. "They're like inseparable brothers. Only they hate each other." She paused. "A lot, actually."

"Interesting."

"Very."

The two walked across the UC lawn towards the dorms. Faith showed her a round for a little bit before the two had to go their separate ways.

She sat on an outdoor bench and looked inside of the coffee shop.

_They must be making millions alone every year,_ she realized, watching as dozens of college students (and some who could pass for college students) walked in and out of the shop.

"Those capitalist pigs," she whispered to herself in astonishment.

"A communist…I see," a voice echoed behind her. Buffy turned away from the Starbucks and looked up at a smirking Angel.

"I prefer the term 'socialist,' if you don't mind," Buffy replied with a smile as Angel took a seat besides her.

He laughed as Buffy tightened the coat around her.

_I wanted to talk to him._

_I just didn't know what to talk to him about._

She looked up at Angel and smiled. "I met Spike."

He groaned. "I'm sorry."

Buffy laughed. "He's not so bad."

"Then you really haven't met him."

A small insecurity sparked inside her heart, wondering if she had never really met Angel, either.

"Coffee?" he offered. She couldn't refuse. The couple

_not couple…just pair_

entered the shop slowly. Angel looked over to Buffy as they reached the counter and took both of their orders.

"So what high school did you come from?" Angel concentrated on her the whole time, talking to her face, her eyes…as if she was all that mattered. She smiled.

"I came from good old Sunnydale High."

Angel smied. "I used to teach high school," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Eleventh grade. Had to get so many hours in to do what I really wanted."

"Become a college professor?"

"Better -- keep up with the coolness."

Buffy laughed and wrapped her hands around her Starbucks coffee cup, relaxing. The warmth penetrated through her fingertips and into the depths of her body, keeping her naturally in tune with herself when talking with Angel. It was easy this way. No nervousness, no anything…just conversation.

"Are you from around here?" Angel asked.

"Yep. Born and bred Sunnydale-ian. You?"

Angel shook his head. "My mother's from Spain. My father met her in London. He's from Ireland. Don't ask," he added, taking in Buffy's confused face. "I just call it fate."

Buffy leaned closer into her seat as she took in all that Angel told her. Angel was raised in England for a while before coming to the US at age thirteen. That was how he met Spike, or William the Bloody. "A harmless nickname we used on him," he explained. "Wrote the most horrific poetry."

"I'll have to read it sometime," she answered. "It can't be that bad."

"Oh, trust me," Angel laughed, stretching back in his seat, "it's that bad."

"You guys must be good friends, then."

"We're pretty close. He's like a brother to me. An annoying, childish, little brother."

Buffy smiled wearily, recalling the conversation she had with Spike just a few hours ago. Angel didn't seem like the type of person who would sleep with his students. He couldn't be that type. She would have never allowed herself to fall for that type of jerk.

_Smart girls fall the hardest, though,_ she reminded herself. It was such a small possibility that Angel was like that.

_He did give Cordelia a once over._

_But what guy wouldn't?_

Buffy shook her head. "Shut up," she mumbled to herself, quietly.

Angel looked at her. "Excuse me?"

Her head shot up and stared at him with wide eyes. "Um…just reciting some classic literature?"

He chuckled. "Yeah? Who?"

Buffy instantly brought the coffee to her mouth. She pointed to it with a smile as she drank.

"Ah, I see," Angel laughed. "Can't talk with your mouth full."

She nodded in response, making Angel laugh even more. The entire section of costumers stared at the couple

_the PAIR!_

as Angel kept laughing and Buffy almost spit out her coffee in spite of herself.

* * *

"He is so amazing, you guys," Buffy said for almost the twentieth time that hour. "I mean it. I really mean it."

"Yeah, we get the point, Buff," Xander said, rolling his eyes at Willow. "We got the point about, oh…I'd say an hour ago."

"Did I mention his father's Irish?"

"Yes!" both Willow and Xander shrieked. "We know his whole life history here!" Xander added.

Buffy sighed as the trio turned a corner on the campus. "I just can't help it. You'll see. When you two fall in love --" she got a smirk from Willow and stopped mid-sentence. "I mean, when Xander falls in love, we'll see who's making fun of who."

"Trust me guys," Xander said, opening the door to the reference office, "when I fall in love, every single inch of hell will freeze ov--"

He stopped and looked at the woman at the information booth. She was talking to a sandy blond man Buffy recognized from her psychology and English class. Both girls noticed the way Xander was looking at her.

"When all what freezes over?" Willow pressed.

Xander didn't seem to hear her. He swallowed once, then twice, before running a hand through his hair.

"I'm pretty sure her name is Anya," Buffy said, stressing her name. "Aaaan-yaaa."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to sit over there. While you two talk to her. Over there."

Buffy giggled and took Willow's arm, leading her up to the register.

"Ah, it's Blondie yet again," Anya said. "How may I waste my life for you this time?"

Willow shot Buffy a freaked out look before staring straight at Anya. "Do you get paid for this?"

"I wish."

Willow nodded. "Figures."

"We were wondering if you could check for any open rooms on the same level as mine," Buffy asked. "I know it's a lot, but --"

"What was your name again? Bunny something?" Anya walked over to the computer. "Bunny Bloomers?"

Willow choked in her laugh. Buffy shot her a look. "It's Buffy. Buffy Summers."

"Yeah. Would make a great strip club, though. Buffy's Bloomers -- open from nine to five."

"I'll think about it when I get the chance," Buffy answered sarcastically.

"You know," Anya drawled, "the only reason I'm doing this for you is because I need something from you in return."

Willow eyed her worriedly. "Nothing to do with Buffy's Bloomers, right?"

"I like your friend." Anya nodded her head in Xander's direction, who in turn instantly turned away and walked out of the UC's office.

"You like Xander?" Willow said childishly.

"He's cute." She shrugged. "So introduce us."

"Well," Buffy answered, looking from Anya to Xander through the glass. "What are you doing next week? Saturday night?"

"I'm free now."

"Great. Me and Wills will set it up."

Anya's eyebrows lowered. "Who's Will? Buffy Bloomer's pleasure-partner in crime?"

Buffy closed her eyes as Willow chuckled. "Something like that," Willow answered.


	8. Dorming It Up

"You got me a date with her?"

Willow laughed along with Buffy.

"That's awesome," Xander exclaimed. Then, there was silence. "Wait...you got me a _date_ with her!?"

"Well, yes," Willow reiterated.

"You don't understand," Xander said, looking behind him in a blind panic. "You don't just set up people on dates. People who have no idea what the other person is like. It could go horrible."

"Or it could go amazingly well," Buffy argued. "That's what blind dates are for, Xand."

Willow agreed. "It's why college is called college. Originally, college was for dating -- not high school."

"Or middle school for that matter," Buffy reasoned.

Xander groaned. "But I don't even know her!"

"Consider it a way of getting to know her," Willow offered. "And hey! Maybe we could turn it into a whole double date thing? Or maybe triple!"

Buffy laughed. "Triple?"

"Angel might like to come --"

Xander snorted. "Highly unlikely."

Buffy shot him a questioning glance. He looked at her and said, "as if a college professor would be seen with his students."

"But that's just it," Buffy countered. "This is college. Not high school. We're independent adults and all that jizz. It could be fun."

Willow and Xander shared a look. The two burst into laughter, a confused Buffy watching them. "What? What?"

A look of realization dawned on her face. "Oh, god. Ignore that."

"Too late now, Buffster," Xander said in between chuckles. "That Freudian slip is something neither of us is going to forget."

Buff rolled her eyes and smiled in embarrassment. "Okay, so, getting past my mortification status and back to the point...it could be fun."

Xander stopped chuckling. "You haven't even asked Angel yet!"

"That's not the point --"

Willow silenced the bickering pair with her 'not now' look. It froze both Xander and Buffy into silence.

"If we're going to the Bronze later on," Willow warned, "I don't want to be stuck in the middle of a huge, tension-y…thing."

Xander grumbled something about 'letting idiots into the workforce' and Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "The things I do for friendship."

Both Willow and Xander smiled.

* * *

Oz picked up Buffy later on in the week after he classes were over, insisting on helping her move into her dorm.

The whole car ride, Buffy babbled about Angel. That was what she liked about her cousin -- he never got tired of hearing her random rants or constant speeches.

_Or at least he didn't show it._

"And so now we're not really just student and teacher," she continued as Oz turned a corner, "we're friends."

Oz nodded.

"You think I should ask him to hang out one day?"

Oz shrugged. "Depends."

Buffy tapped her fingers against the dashboard. "True. But…he's my teacher. Or, at least, my TA."

Oz parked in the driveway and the two of them got out.

"Hey, no band practice today?" Buffy asked as they entered the house.

"Nada," he said, closing the door behind him. "We're low on members."

The cousins walked into the kitchen and Buffy went straight to the fridge. "What happened?"

"Devon's getting married."

"What? Your brother?"

Oz stared at her blankly. "Who else?"

"But --I -- " Buffy sputtered words out, shock gripping her. "Devon? He doesn't seem like the 'married' type. And the groupies! And why didn't mom tell me -- "

"He's not coming back Buffy," Oz explained, grabbing a soda. "He's getting eloped as we speak, I assume. No one knows."

Buffy laughed. "Now that's just crazy talk."

"Devon's pretty crazy."

She groaned. "And your singer -- "

"Is getting married."

"Her, too?"

"Yep. To Devon, of all people."

"Wow," she responded, taking a drink of her soda. "That's intense."

Oz nodded. "Where's Aunt Joyce?"

"Probably working overtime at the gallery. You know how it is, college and money." Buffy sighed. "I so need a job."

He thought for a moment before answering. "I could offer you one."

Her eyes perked up, and a smile formed on her face. "I'm listening."

* * *

After transferring furniture with Oz into his van, the cousins drove by Willlow's house to pick up the redhead and Xander. Both friends agreed to help with the move, just as long as they got visitation rights whenever they wanted.

"And when I mean visitation rights, I mean the Full Monty, missy," Xander playfully warned her during the drive.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Full Monty? I don't want Full Monty's, full moon's, full anything, mister."

Willow laughed from her seat in the front with Oz. "We see each other everyday, anyways."

"True," Xander nodded, "but if my house is full, my basement's not reachable, and there's no where else to escort my super-hot date, then -- "

"Considering you get a super hot date, Xand."

"I'm ignoring that. So, it's a deal -- "

Buffy hit Xander playfully on the shoulder. "Are you kidding me?"

Willow grinned and looked back. "I'm sure Anya has some special privileges, being one of the RA's."

Xander's face lit up. "Hey! Good thinking!"

Oz parked the van in front of Nemation Hall, where Buffy was currently residing in. "Everyone out."

With Xander grumbling the whole way and Willow not carrying much of anything, Buffy realized it would have been better to move the things herself.  
_  
Yeah, if you wanted to be bored out of your mind._

The two made things a lot more entertaining. That could keep anyone's sanity in check, Buffy's included.

"Just one more floor to go, guys," Buffy called from behind her.

"Why don't they have working elevators?" Xander groaned.

After setting all the boxes up (and receiving an awful number of angry glares from people checking them out in the hallway), the group settled for lying on various pieces of furniture scattered across the room.

A knock on the door made Buffy lift her head up off the floor. She saw Faith underneath the doorway, a smirk on her face.

"You could have asked me for some help, B," she said before entering.

Buffy struggled to sit up. "Didn't want to burden."

"Aw, it could have been fun," Faith said playfully. "I heard all the people yelling and I thought there was a party."

"Party? They sounded pretty mad to me," Willow spoke. At the awkward silence, her eyes lit up. "Oooh. Sarcasm. I get it, now."

Buffy stood up and dusted herself off. "Guys, this is Faith. I met her trying to get access to the dorm. Faith, this is Oz, Xander, and Willow."

Everyone started to talk as Buffy headed back to the van to grab a few snacks. _Finally, mom's annoying habits of "take a snack, honey!" pays off,_ she thought to herself and chuckled.

She grabbed the food out of the glove compartment and locked Oz's van before turning around. Buffy hesitated for a moment, hearing the faintest sound in the distance -- the sound of footsteps.

Looking down at her watch, she noticed it was almost 7:30 and already getting dark out. Cursing under her breath, she hastened her walking pace and headed for the hall.

"Buffy!"

She recognized the voice and stopped midway. "Angel."

Angel stepped out of the shadows and jogged up to her. "Hey. Didn't mean to scare you, or anything -- "

"Scare me?" Buffy laughed, only earning a skeptical glance from Angel. "Okay, maybe you scared me a little. Like, this much," she explained, holding out her index finger and her thumb an inch apart.

Angel laughed. "Oh, good, because I thought I had scared you, like, this much," he said, extending his arms wide apart.

The two shared a laugh before Buffy remembered her dorm. "Hey, you wanna come up?"

Angel seemed hesitant. She shook her head before continuing. "My friends are up there, if you were wondering. And Faith, she just…kind of came in."

The two walked inside and Angel looked up the stairs. "Faith's up there?"

She nodded.

"So Spike's there, too?"

"Surprisingly not," Buffy answered. "Those two cling onto each other like their life depended on it."

"I guess in some ways, it does," Angel said softly.

Buffy looked at him carefully. _He's so sweet. What was Spike talking about?_

After a moment of silence, she started walking up the stairs, Angel following behind her.

"I'll just walk you up, as long as one's going to mind."

"No one will mind," she said. After a moment's thought, she added, "except for Xander."

He groaned. "Not that kid, again."

Buffy laughed. "I really wish I was in the same classroom as you two. That could be priceless."

Angel shrugged. "The students seem to like it. Provides entertainment while learning, and that's always a plus."

"Do you have a selected someone to pick on in all your classes?" she asked him.

Angel smirked. "What do you think?"

Buffy only shook her head and laughed. "And I'm guessing I'm one of these 'means of entertainments'?"

"It would appear so."

He opened the door for her. Faith looked up and walked over to help Buffy with the food. She noticed Angel as she grabbed a bag.

"Angel, what a surprise," Faith said and grinned.

Xander groaned. "What a surprise, indeed."

Willow nudged him in the stomach lightly. She smiled apologetically at Angel.

Buffy put the food in the middle of the room and watched in amazement as her friends began to flock towards it. "Wow, you guys really were hungry."

Xander stuffed some marshmallows in his mouth and tried to smile, only to have a bunch of marshmallows fall out.

Buffy introduced Angel to Oz and asked him if he wanted anything to take on his way home. He declined as she walked him to the door and smiled.

"Thanks for seeing me up," she said sincerely.

"You could probably take care of yourself."

"True," Buffy said with a playful grin, "but you're among the first to actually care about my well-being after dark."

Angel chucked. "Nice to know. I'll see you in class, then."

"And probably around here!" Faith yelled from the dorm. "Spike's gonna be with me for a while."

"When will the class get to meet Spike?" Buffy asked.

Angel frowned. "Hopefully not anytime soon."

"Spike, Angel," Xander said loudly, "could you guys have any weirder names?"

Angel shot him a glare. Buffy raised her eyebrows and said, "hey, I'm part of the weird name club, too, Xander."

"Same," Oz answered as Willow rested her head in his shoulder.

Angel left after a chorus of goodbyes echoed through the room. Buffy's dorm room wasn't the biggest, but it comfortably housed the five of them.

"I'm going to have to put a lot of posters up," she mused. "This place is creepy."

"True, but it's yours," Faith added. "At least until the rommie moves in. Do you know who it is yet?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not yet. I'm hoping for some fun though with you and Spike in the meantime."

Willow sat up quickly. "Hey! I think, I think I just got an idea!" She turned to Faith. "I take it you're going out with Spike?"

Faith smirked. "Let's hope so, or else the two of us have been really, really naughty."

Everyone laughed. "Maybe you and Spike could come with Buffy, Xander, Oz, Anya -- the RA -- and me. We're planning on going out…somewhere," Willow said.

"Oh! And maybe Spike can bring Angel!" Buffy added.

Faith smiled. "I'll try it. I don't get much invitations for school-friendships, mainly because everyone thinks I'm a big party-ho who doesn't have any brains."

Oz nodded. "Same with me. Only less on the party-ho."

The group laughed and started to attempt to plug in the television set. After ten minutes of failure, Faith brought them into her dorm room and they watched Who's Line Is It, Anyway? for the rest of the night before crashing in Faith's room.


End file.
